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Anyone interested in a proposed interstate between Phoenix and Las Vegas can learn more about the project this week.&nbsp; Public meetings on Interstate 11 will be held in Avondale Tuesday night and later in Kingman and Tucson.

The budget impasse in Washington
is starting to impact the housing recovery. ASU real estate expert Michael Orr
says it’s shutting down mortgage lending, because lenders are unable to get
income documentation from the IRS.

Businesses and others who think the Grand
Canyon should be at least partially re-opened, even while the
federal government is shut down, are planning to stage a protest this
afternoon. Clarinda Vail owns and
operates the Red Feather Lodge, just outside the park and she says the protest
will be peaceful.

Facing a wave of negative publicity and mounting political
pressure, Governor Jan Brewer late Monday agreed to put up $650,000 state
dollars to cover welfare payments for some needy families. Arizona is one of only 11 states that
totally fund the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program with federal
money.

The first
patient of Arizona’s flu season has been diagnosed. State and county health
officials have confirmed it was an unvaccinated child with influenza type B who
was not hospitalized. It is
impossible to know what shape this flu season will take.

Voters who register without proving their citizenship will get a separate ballot on Election Day, the Secretary of State's Office said Monday. It is a response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this year.

Two planned executions
will proceed despite the efforts of the American Civil Liberties Union to prove the drug being used in
their execution does not meet standards. Pentobarbital is among the three
drugs used in an execution.

On Monday Gov. Jan Brewer ordered the Arizona Department of Economic Security to redirect $650,000 from its budget to cover the cost of issuing welfare checks to needy families. More than 5,000 low income Arizona families are entering their second
week without assistance due to the federal government shutdown.

Arizona State University football fans will find fewer seats at Sun Devil Stadium next fall. After years of planning, the university has announced plans to demolish part of the north end of the stadium.

Hundreds of civilian employees at Arizona’s military bases returned to work Monday after they were furloughed last week in the federal shutdown. They were called back by Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel over the weekend.

The funding problems that have shut down the government and Grand Canyon National Park could just be a sign of what’s to come at Arizona’s top tourist attraction.Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga says he’s concerned about a ‘catastrophic failure’ of the canyon’s 60-year-old water pipeline, which he says could happen at any time.

As the federal government shutdown continues, the Arizona
Chamber of Commerce and Industry is condemning members of Congress and the president. CEO Glen Hammer is calling on officials in Washington to do what’s right for the country
by ending the impasse.

A new report from ASU shows the Valley housing market is
continuing to improve, with supply finally starting to increase to meet demand.
Mike Orr of the W.P.
Carey School
of business says he’s surprised the area housing market has improved to this
point as quickly as it has.

The Affordable Care Act could have a significant impact on
reducing breast cancer across the country. Matt Schafer of the American Cancer
Society says more women will be able to access affordable health care because
insurers will not be able to reject those with pre-existing conditions, like
breast cancer.

Many people who traveled thousands of miles to hike, camp or paddle in a national park aren’t letting a government shutdown spoil their vacation. They’re finding there are ways around the park closures.

A study by the National Transportation Research Group says Tucson has some of the worst streets in the country.The study says 53 percent of major roads in the Tucson urban area are in poor condition. Those roads cost drivers $723 each year in additional vehicle operating costs.

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